Thursday, June 26

TORONTO -- Help is on the way. 

Let’s stop short of the part where we say these returns from injury can be “just like a Trade Deadline addition” -- the Blue Jays are a big-market team, and that isn’t big-market thinking -- but they’ll take all the good news they can get in what’s shaping up to be a true division race, not just another run at the Wild Card.

Max Scherzer’s return Wednesday in Cleveland kicked things off, but there should be waves of comebacks over the coming month-plus. The Blue Jays have gotten out to this strong start in such surprising ways, but eventually, the stars need to be the stars.

Here’s a look at who’s on the horizon and how it will impact the Blue Jays when they arrive:

RHP Yimi García (right shoulder impingement)
ETA: Next week

If all goes well and García pitches in Triple-A this weekend, he should be able to return at some point during the Yankees series next week, and his timing couldn’t be better. 

Yes, this is partly a Jeff Hoffman conversation. The Blue Jays’ closer has struggled lately, posting an 8.50 ERA over 18 innings of work since that dominant April. Zooming out a bit, though, this is also about the foundation of the later innings in the Blue Jays’ bullpen, which has completely changed from Spring Training. 

Erik Swanson is gone, released earlier this week after battling injuries and his performance. Chad Green has allowed 10 home runs already, his 4.36 ERA not quite capturing how unsteady it’s been. Even Brendon Little, who has at times been one of the most impressive lefties in baseball, has run into some walk troubles lately. This bullpen doesn’t just need García, it needs the very best version of him. We saw that version in early 2024, and he’s looked sharp for much of this season, too, so it’s still in there if García can stay healthy. 

OF Daulton Varsho (left hamstring strain)
ETA: Potentially mid-July?

Varsho’s timeline is a little cloudier after he felt some tightness running the bases, but this still isn’t expected to be a long-term issue that stretches deep into the season. When Varsho does return, Toronto’s defense jumps from great to elite once again, and Varsho’s bat, which launched eight home runs in 24 games, can help to raise the ceiling of this lineup. 

The real question is how this impacts the outfield logjam. Jonatan Clase feels like he could be the odd man out if regular reps aren’t available, given that Nathan Lukes and Myles Straw have performed well. Keep in mind that the Blue Jays prefer Straw’s defense in center, so he’ll surely stick around in case Varsho can’t play every single day upon his return.

OF/DH Anthony Santander (left shoulder inflammation)

ETA: ???

This is the mysterious one. Santander has still not started to hit at the Blue Jays’ complex in Dunedin, Fla., and until he does, there won’t be much of a timeline. It’s possible this stretches on closer to the Trade Deadline, but for now, the Blue Jays have to plan on life without Santander in the lineup. 

The main impact of Santander’s return will be to the DH spot … which brings us to George Springer. The veteran outfielder has already started 30 games at DH, which he’s embraced. If Santander were to return and bump Springer back to more outfield reps, that further crowds Toronto’s outfield and puts pressure on players like Alan Roden or Lukes. If everyone’s hitting, this is a good problem to have, but it could create another complicated puzzle for manager John Schneider.

RHP Alek Manoah (Tommy John rehab)

ETA: August or September

Manoah just threw 25 pitches to live hitters, touching 95 mph, and he will throw two innings in his next session. This is encouraging, and while that Aug. 1 date everyone’s had circled for a return seems a little optimistic, Manoah has still nailed this rehab process and set himself up to return in 2025. 

Will there be a rotation need, though? If there is, the Blue Jays are likely to address that at the Trade Deadline, leaving Manoah as the next line of defense. Manoah could still pull off what Hyun Jin Ryu did in 2023, returning down the stretch to help his team to the playoffs, but this is more about setting Manoah up for success in ‘26 and beyond, when he could be a key piece of this rotation once again.

Late Tuesday, the Blue Jays dealt High-A reliever Colby Martin to the Marlins for Robinson Piña, a 26-year-old right-hander who had recently been designated for assignment. 

Piña owned a 3.47 ERA in Triple-A working mostly as a starter in the Marlins’ organization this season, so he’s likely to be used in a bulk role similar to Paxton Schultz or Spencer Turnbull after reporting to Buffalo. There’s some real upside in Piña’s splitter, too, along with some physical upside at 6-foot-5, so this feels like a sensible gamble for the Blue Jays as they try to find more potential in their bulk depth. 

When the Blue Jays return home on Monday, they’ll kick off a four-game set against the Yankees that is their biggest series of the season to date. Tickets are available here for all four games.

If the rotation stays in its current alignment, Scherzer would be on track to start that opener against the Yankees, his first home start since his Blue Jays debut in March. With the AL East this tight though, this series will carry huge weight for the Blue Jays as they try to establish themselves as a legitimate threat in the division ahead of the Trade Deadline. 

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